Audi, Toyota join self-driving bandwagon

By Matthew Heimer

I believe I’m a pretty good driver (although I’m also aware that, in perhaps the world’s most often-cited example of the Lake Wobegon Effect, most Americans feel the same way). I’m also reasonably sure that I won’t be as good a driver twenty-five years from now, when I’ll be in my late sixties and my senses and reflexes are likely to be considerably less sharp.

Autoweek.com

“Relax, I’ve got this,” says your Lexus.

That’s why I’m nursing a soft obsession with “self-driving” cars – vehicles equipped to detect and react to other vehicles, traffic lights and lane lines in ways that could eventually take most of the navigational responsibilities out of the hands of the puny human driver. Tech like that could help older drivers remain independent longer, much to their benefit and the benefit of their kids who might be playing care-giving roles. Hence my excitement to learn this week that Audi and Toyota will each be demonstrating “autonomous driving” technology next week at the Consumer Electronics Show, the huge annual consumer-technology party in Las Vegas. Those two carmakers join a group of experimenters that also includes Volvo and Google; auto analyst Dave Sullivan tells the Wall Street Journal this week that given the company’s market share, “To have somebody with the weight of Toyota throwing their weight behind this is impressive.”

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Encore looks at the changing nature of retirement, from new rules and guidelines for financial security to the shifting identities, needs and priorities of people saving for and living in retirement. Our lead blogger is editor Matthew Heimer, and frequent contributors include editor Amy Hoak, writer Catey Hill, and MarketWatch columnists Elizabeth O’Brien, Robert Powell and Andrea Coombes. Encore also features regular commentary from The Wall Street Journal retirement columnists Glenn Ruffenach and Anne Tergesen and the Director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Alicia H. Munnell.